Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)


Macular degeneration is the degradation of a small part of the retina due to age. AMD does leave the individual blind, but it does severely compromise vision.

There are two forms of AMD; wet and dry.

1. Dry AMD, small yellow solids appear in the degradated area of the retina. These solids do not cause changes in vision, but as they grow, they can cause dimming or distortion of vision that is most apparent when reading.

2. Wet AMD is due to the abnormal growth of blood vessels within the degradated retina region. These blood vessels leak blood and fluid into the retina, causing distortion of vision that makes straight lines look wavy, as well as blind spots and loss of central vision.

Symptoms of macular degeneration include:
Straight lines start to appear distorted, or the centre of vision becomes distorted
Dark, blurry areas or white out appears in the centre of vision
Diminished or changed colour perception

There is currently no cure for macular degeneration, but there are many treatments availalble which may prevent severe vision loss or slow the progression of the disease considerably. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.